Osceola County Historical Society Blog

The Osceola County Historical Society will be celebrating what life was like in early Florida by hosting the 26th Annual Pioneer Day. This is always a fun time for the community to come out and enjoy the Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek for free, and experience historical re-enactments and examples of daily life for pioneers. What makes this year’s event even more exciting is OCHS has added another replica building, the General Store, and we will be celebrating its grand opening at 10:30AM, November 11th during the 26th Annual Pioneer Day event!

The replica schoolhouse at the Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek is typical of the style that Emma Viola Yowell may have taught in. Born in Illinois about 1862, she began her teaching career there in 1886. After moving to Florida in 1888, Emma taught at the Athens School in Polk County, followed by a transfer to Davenport in 1889. The move to Osceola County in 1890 was the beginning of Emma’s fifty years of service to our community.

As the quarter moon rises over Downtown Kissimmee on Friday October 27th, the Osceola County Historical Society will whisk you away on a spirited lantern-lit ghost tour. As your host guides you through the twilit streets, you will hear spine-tingling tales of some of Kissimmee’s dearly and infamously departed residents. Look and listen carefully, because you never know where you might encounter a spook or two. This 45-minute, kid-friendly adventure will be the perfect ‘trick’ to your Boo! On Broadway treats. This event is $10 for adults, and $5 for children 12 and under. Sign up now, before this terror-ific offer passes away.

Jozef Bladek has been greeting locals and visitors at the Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum since December 2016. In addition to his role as museum attendant, Jozef conducts tours of the History Museum, participants in outreach programs, assists with the smooth operations of exhibit openings and recently, he has added Pioneer Villagefield tripattendant to his repertoire.

Jozef respects and appreciates Florida’s history, and enjoys talking to guests about their historical knowledge.

JB: When I first started working, an older gentleman came in. We talked for about an hour just on citrus. As a young adult, he had been a truck driver that picked up citrus through out Kissimmee. He said U.S. 192 was all citrus groves lining the road, before Disney, of course. Now you look around and all you see is people and not a single bit of citrus. Another thing I thought was interesting was meeting some of the Cadman Family descendants.

Larissa Bixby asked Jozef a series of questions, in the hopes of getting to know the young man who works the front desk at the museum. This is what she found out: